Lauren & Ryan are two wonderful reasons why I love doing weddings.  Their wedding last weekend at Peche in Sherman Mills was such a dream.  Peche is one of our favorite venues for its close proximity (5 blocks? 6 max), easy loading, and the super friendly staff of Peachtree & Ward Catering.  This, paired with an incredibly sweet bride & groom, and you have the recipe for a great wedding experience.

To help keep their budget under control, we designed two arrangements for the lanterns that Lauren & her family provided.  Adding a few large ring designs among the “cloche” arrangements gave the room a dynamic, yet unified style.  Then we added lots and lots (hundreds?) of glowing votives for instant ambiance.  When we returned at the end of the night to pick up rentals, the party was still going strong.  I think the DJ tired out before the guests!  In the end, Lauren gifted two of those magnificent lanterns to the shop – and for that, we thank you Lauren!  xo

yves piaget garden roses, hydrangea paniculata, chocolate cosmos, figs, scabiosa pods, bunny grass, lemon basil, perilla, & mint in a birchbark-wrapped vase.

Ah, finally!  The photos I’ve been promising for so long.  Weddings are often stressful times, what with making arrangements and scrambling to pack everything up and being on time for deliveries.  This one started out no differently, only this time we had to haul a car full of flowers from Philadelphia 6 hours north to the Adirondacks.  While the drive was scenic, every bump in the road had me spinning around to make sure everybody was okay.  Can you say “whiplash”?  Oy.  But we all survived intact, and the rest of the trip was nothing but autumnal gloriousness and one gorgeous, happy, couple surrounded by friends & family.

When Jenny called and asked me to design her bouquets and centerpieces, of course I said yes.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love good food.  Anyone who knows Jenny knows that she loves good food.  So we decided to design centerpieces good enough to eat!  I called up my friends around the corner with an incredible edible garden, who generously let me into their plot to cut herbs galore.  Then we ordered bunches and bunches of delicious California-grown dahlias & garden roses.  Using a collection of mason jars, antique canisters, recycled bourbon bottles & slate planters, we created 15 arrangements in which no two were the same.  The result?  We’ll let you decide…

Last weekend was a little piece of heaven.  Saturday afternoon we packed up the car and drove off to the Adirondacks for a long weekend wedding.  It was my first time in those mountains, it won’t be my last.  Mark & I had the privilege of staying with Jenny’s parents, both of whom were incredibly warm & welcoming.  Sunday’s wedding was stunning – Jenny is the most laid-back & effortlessly gorgeous bride I have ever met.  Wedding pictures to come, but first I had to share a quick shot of the flowers, and then the landscape.  Oh, the landscape! I never wanted it to end.  Admittedly, it was really, really hard to leave, but we did.  Can’t wait to go back…we’re going snow-shoeing in January!

Centerpieces ready to get packed up.

A foggy morning in the mountains.

Mark & our new adoptive Dad.

Who wouldn’t be happy to wake up to this view every day for the rest of their life?

Pre-tree-climb.

This week has been gorgeous.  Quintessential Fall – sunny, breezy, a tiny bit of nip, perfect for leaving the shop door wide open.  Something about it also seems to bring out (in?) the wildlife.  We had a few unexpected visitors in the shop – Monday brought a sweet black cat (we nicknamed her ‘Boo Kitty’) who wandered right in the door as we were getting ready to close.  She hung around and watched us work, then wandered out as I was getting ready to lock up.  Didn’t get any pictures of her, perhaps she’ll visit again?  Yesterday brought two (2!) feathered friends:

This hummingbird(!) buzzed himself in & zoomed around the shop for a while.  Took a quick breather and shot right back out.

Not a half hour later, we were visited by this sweet little sparrow.  She had a hard time figuring how to get back out, so we had to catch & release her outside.

I guess it’s a little more wildlife-friendly inside the shop than it is outside?

This is Olive – her Mama Niki was sampling Teatulia teas with us all afternoon.  We love our 4-legged visitors!

So, I have to admit – I LOVE flowers.  I talk to them all the time.  “You are so juicy I could just eat you up!” & “Hello, my lovely.”  Nothing crazy, really.  I get all giddy with excitement when a shipment of cafe au lait dahlias comes in from California, or I find that one perfect garden rose in my yard.  Makes sense, right?

Another admission: I LOVE weddings.  I love meeting couples and crafting a vision around their personalities and style.  Every couple is different, and their flowers reflect that.  Let it be known that I spend a LOT of time obsessing over the flowers for every wedding that we do.  The first ideas are just a springboard, even when a bride comes in knowing exactly what she wants.  In the end, nothing is more rewarding that a beaming bride & groom on their wedding day because their flowers reflect exactly who they are and what they love (each other!).

Why am I going on and on?  Because this weekend one of my best friends is getting married in the Adirondacks and she’s given me free reign on her centerpieces.  Weeeeee!!!  Quirky, rustic, & charming – I love these two.  Tons of pictures to come, I’m sure.  For now, a quick sneak peek:

garden roses, perilla, dill, feverfew, sage, & nigella pods